World Bank

The Tonga Digital Government Support Project will strengthen digital access, efficiency and security in Tonga’s public service, by supporting a number of whole-of-government digital initiatives, includinga new National Government Portal that will improve Tongans’ access to services and information across all Government ministries and agencies, as well as improvements to Tonga’s regulations for digital economy and digital government, data protection and privacy, and cyber security.

The Skills and Employment for Tongans Project will support the Tongan government to establish a cash transfer programme to address the financial constraints many households face in accessing and keeping children in secondary school. The project will also ensure technical and vocational education and training (TVET) courses are improved to help students build skills to make them more employable in Tonga, as well as through Australian or New Zealand employment programmes.

The funding will extend the Pacific Resilience Program’s support to the government of Tonga in delivering early warning systems, resilient investments, and financial protection against natural disasters.

Further, five more years of disaster risk financing insurance premiums will be paid for under the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Finance Initiative (PCRAFI) disaster risk finance and insurance program, which rapidly paid out US$3.5 million in emergency funds to the government of Tonga, following severe Tropical Cyclone Gita.

The money would go towards repairs of the runway at Funafuti Airport, which was being damaged by water infiltration exacerbated by tidal and sea level impacts.

Several trial design solutions for the problem would be tried during this cyclone season.

The World Bank's Pacific country director, Michael Kerf, said it was imperative that Tuvalu's only international airport continues to function safely.

He said the project would help Tuvalu be resilient from the impacts of climate change.

The document, 'Pacific Possible', has been launched at the Pacific Islands Forum in Samoa.

The Bank said the document had been three years in the making, and was the culmination of extensive consultations with Pacific Island and Pacific Rim governments, non-governmental organisations, academics and individuals across the region.

It has identified tourism, fisheries, the knowledge economy and labour mobility as key areas offering opportunities.

The report also mentions deep sea mining, yet advises caution.

Fiji welcomed this opportunity during the signing of the World Bank establishment agreement at the Prime Minister’s office Wednesday.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Fiji is honoured to host the World Bank group.

Bainimarama says Fiji’s relationship with the World Bank is growing and its presence at home will benefit not only Fiji but neighbouring countries.

The Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva ordered an investigation into the funds which were meant to go towards the rebuilding of homes on Ha'apai.

The island group was hit hard by Cyclone Ian in 2014, leaving thousands homeless, but the reconstruction effort had been plagued with delays and 75 homes still need to be rebuilt.

The World Bank had been assisting with the rebuild.

The bank's Tatafu Moeaki said it wants to make sure the government investigation was done correctly.

At a regional energy summit in Samoa, the World Bank said it was detailing the potential for its online solar atlas, which gives interested parties the means to find where solar power potential is most concentrated.

The campaign, Laukonga Mo e Fanau (Read with your child in Tongan) aims to tackle the issue of many children not having enough nurturing, early childhood experiences such as reading together with their loved ones and as a result, arrive at school unprepared to take on the challenges of a new environment.

The issue was identified in a recent World Bank-led study as one of the key barriers to children’s development and success at school.

The International Development Association, the bank's fund for the world's most in need countries, spent $US360 million in the Pacific in 2015 and this will increase this to $US900 million next year.

World Bank vice president for East Asia and the Pacific, Victoria Kwakwa announced the increase during a visit to Vanuatu over the weekend.

Ms Kwakwa says the bank’s entire Pacific island partners will benefit from the increase.